US factory orders slide 0.5 percent in May, ending 3 straight months of gains Wednesday Jul 2, 2014 at 12:01 AM Jul 2, 2014 at 2:15 PM WASHINGTON (AP) - US factory orders slide 0.5 percent in May, ending 3 straight months of gains. WASHINGTON (AP) — US factory orders slide 0.5 percent in May, ending 3 straight months of gains.